Mourning Too Long
by Shadow Haloed Angel
Summary: Valentines fic, written for a contest on DA and crossposted, one of my few het fics. Wasn't planned to be but it is. VinTifa, cuteness, some angst, and Cid being a boor.


He had known what day it was when he got up that morning, goodness knows there had been enough publicity around. That was why he was heading to the Seventh now, somewhere to hide, somewhere dark where he would be anonymous and no one would care, no one would pester him.

When he walked in the door Tifa smiled at him and gestured with her head to a quiet table in the corner, where he so often liked to sit because no one bothered him. She'd bring over a whisky in a minute, put it on his tab, and he'd give her a tip. She wouldn't try to talk to him, unless he greeted her first, she knew he was basically a solitary person. He heard a loud greeting from one of the other tables and jumped, looking over, eyes frightened for a moment.

It was Cid. The other was obviously drunk and he got up and swaggered over, putting an arm around his shoulders and slurring "Heya gorgeous... hey, s Valentine's Day today 'n it... " he laughed and the fumes of the alcohol on his breath would have sent Vincent staggering back were it not for the airship captain's arm around his shoulders clamping him against the other's body."How's lady luck treatin ya Vinny? Ya givin out kisses on your special day?" he leant closer, trying to claim the other's lips, missing, kissing him sloppily, stubble on unshaven cheeks scratching Vincent's skin. He pulled away with a frightened gasp, and fled upstairs. That had been far too reminiscent of the labs, far too degrading, far too...frightening. He had trusted his companions, and Cid tried to take advantage like that... he knew the other was drunk, but it still scared him and he doubted he would ever be able to look the other in the face again.,

He took refuge in the room he had stayed in before he had moved out of the Seventh to his own place.

Downstairs, Tifa was frowning. She sighed and took Cid by the shoulder. "I think you've had enough captain, you're barred for now Cid, leave, sober up, come back in a week to beg forgiveness and pay off your tab, then we'll see..." She pushed him out the door, then, wiping her hands on her apron, she climbed the stairs.

"Vincent? Vincent I know you're up here... unless you've flown off in disgust... it's ok... he's gone... I'm really sorry about that... I've brought you a whisky... I know you must be shaken... Vincent?" she pushed open the door to his old room, guessing that might be where he had taken refuge. He was curled up on the bed.

She gasped and walked over, sitting on the bed and tentatively stroking his hair.

"Vincent... I can understand being upset that he did that... but... " she sighed "Vincent there's something I've always wanted to know... why do you hate Valentine's day so much? I mean, I can understand that there must be a lot of jokes and stuff... but I don't understand why you hate the spirit of the holiday so much..." she didn't mention that she'd come to dread it because Cloud spent every Valentine's day down at Aerith's church these days, and it still hurt her.

Vincent sighed and turned away "Tifa... I appreciate your concern but..."

She interrupted "Vincent if you think I haven't had my heart broken in the past you're mistaken, you're wrong. I can tell when someone else has too, so why don't you tell me just what the hell is going on..."

He looked at her for a moment, eyes shining eerily in the dark "I don't know why anyone would break your heart, you're a beautiful woman Tifa..." then he sighed "I don't know how much you know about my past, about how I ended up like this... but... there was a woman called Lucrecia, a scientist, I was just a Turk, I was there to guard her but... I felt for her... she felt things too... but she married Hojo and had a child by him...they experimented on her, and on the child... that child was born a monster, but it wasn't his fault.... I tried to persuade her it wasn't a good idea, then I tried to save the child... but he shot me.. and..." he shook slightly and paused, then shrugged "I have not trusted myself to love since. I was rejected once when I was a good man, now that I'm a monster what woman would look twice. Every year I just mourn Lucrecia."

Tifa's eyes had widened through that story, and she felt an overwhelming desire to ring the stupid cow's neck. She couldn't believe someone would betray this gentle, loyal man like that. She bit her lip slightly, then gave in to an impulse and stroked his cheek, raising his head. When she whispered, her breath tickled his skin.

"Vincent... I think you've been mourning... too long..." she whispered, and kissed him softly. After a soft gasp he slowly kissed back, arm coming up to support her weight. Neither of them would ever spend Valentine's Day alone again.


End file.
